The US government imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane of Japan and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal on August 18-19, 2026 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The sanctions prevent both individuals from entering the United States and block their access to the US financial system [1, 4, 5].
US Treasury and Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the ICC as "corrupt and fatally politicised," accusing Akane and Seye of engaging in investigations and prosecutions of officials without their governments' consent [2, 3, 4]. A US Department of State spokesperson stated, "We expect our allies to end their support for the ICC, which represents a threat to U.S. sovereignty" [2].
The sanctions relate to ICC probes involving US troops and an arrest warrant issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who condemned the court as "a kangaroo court that cloaks its abuse of power in the language of international law" [2, 3, 4].
The ICC strongly rejected the sanctions. It called them a "flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates pursuant to the mandate conferred by its States Parties from across regions," and stated that nine of its 18 judges, along with deputy prosecutors, a former prosecutor, and a staff member, now face US sanctions [1, 4, 5]. ICC President Tomoko Akane said she was "not surprised" by the sanctions and warned they signal the "demise of international rule of law" [6].
Japan, the largest funder of the ICC and a close US ally, criticized the sanctions as "very unfortunate" while reaffirming its support for the ICC and the rule of law [3, 4]. Japanese foreign ministry press secretary Toshihiro Kitamura said, "From this standpoint, the announced measures are very unfortunate" [3]. European Union officials and UN human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the sanctions and urged the ICC to act independently without external pressure. Turk called on the US to lift the "unacceptable new sanctions" imposed on the ICC president and prosecution staff member [4].
The US has not commented on whether it consulted Japan prior to the sanctions [2].
On August 22, 2026, Tomoko Akane reiterated her warning about the erosion of international legal standards following the sanctions [6].
